RESISTANCE perform a kind of Heavy Metal music that's intimidating enough. They surely have 80s US Metal ingredients in their music, still they are an on-the edge Thrash Metal band too, plus their songwriting shows enough relation to certain 21st Century Metal bands like (mainly) MORGANA LEFAY or (in a way) NEVERMORE. Charming enough? Patents Of Control is the Los Angeles, USA quintet's second full-length release. They also hold a debut EP (2001) plus a 2003 independent release single. I see them as a healthy band. Meaning: they do strike hard. The drums are always pounding, double-bass parts are all over the album, the bass is demonic and nonstop, the guitars outburst tons of riffs and leads and the voice of Robbie Hett is a mix of old-school and up-to-date Metal singing. It's my impression the band did work at full speed to come up with a set of dynamic songs that are complex enough in tempos and riffology; there are certain songs, like e.g. The Cleansing, that RESISTANCE flirts even with in-your-face Death Metal, or others that seem to feature HC or NWOSDM parts. The relation to NEVERMORE could be pinpointed here, in specific. In the same formula Warrel Dane's band does sum up a pile of different sub-genres' sounds in order to come up with a product that is - undoubtedly - bombarding, that's the recipe RESISTANCE seem to use for the Patents Of Control songlist. But, if you want to think of another band to guide you this unknown - to many - quintet, I think MORGANA LEFAY is a more appropriate example. Still, they were times I'd wait for a specific song to end. I could blame this to the nonstop pounding (meaningless to many, when the song is not e.g. a 3-minute one) but - then - who'd be keen on extreme Metal(!) in general? Maybe it's the general background in most songs…maybe… Produced by RESISTANCE and mixed by Neil Kernon (QUEENSRYCHE), Patents Of Control is a good album but - bearing in mind the songs' level and the musicians' skills - nothing more. Would like to add some things up but dunno if these would end up being of benefit for the band.
Tracklist:
Inhumanation End Of Today Ashes Of Tomorrow One Nation Under G.O.D. (Group Order Device) Confessions Of The Black Heart Paternal Shift Cerebral Screams I Am Techno Christ The Cleansing The Alpha And The Omega Mirrors Black
Lineup:
Robbie Hett - Vocals Dan Luna - Guitars, Vocals Paul Shigo - Bass, Vocals Dave Watson - Guitars Matt Ohnemus - Drums, Vocals